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January 5, 2026“Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage”There are some misconceptions about the wisemen who came from the east. They were not present on the day or night of Jesus’birth; probably arrived sometime later. They revealed neither their names or the area they were from. They were not kings, rather wisemen who could read the stars, who studied the night sky. Because of the three gifts we assume there were three wisemen, but we cannot determine exactly.Not seeking any special privilege, they quietly offered the gifts, and returned via a different route without acknowledging their names or where exactly they came from. In short, they were decent men. Men of decency. Such is a word seldom used in today’s parlance:‘decency.’ In a letter to his brother written in 1886, the author Anton Chekhov explains the criteria for such consideration.They respect human beings as individuals and are therefore always tolerant, gentle, courteous and amenable.They have compassion for other people. . . .their hearts suffer the pain of what is hidden to the naked eye.They respect other people's property, and therefore pay their debts.They are not devious, and they fear lies as they fear fire. To lie to someone is to insult them, and the liar is diminished in the eyes of the person he lies to They don't put on airs; they behave in the street as they would at home, they don't show off to impress their juniors.They don't run themselves down in order to provoke the sympathy of others.They don't play on other people's heartstrings to be sighed over.They are not vain.They don't waste time with the fake jewelry of hobnobbing with celebrities. . .True talent always sits in the shade, mingles with the crowd, avoids the limelight.If they do possess talent, they value it. . . .they know they have a responsibility [to use it for the sake of others.]They work at developing“mens sana in corpore sano.”(Latin phrase meaning,“a healthy mind in a healthy body.”It’s original context suggested prayer for these enduring virtues over material wealth, advocating a balanced life integrating Intellectual, physical, and spiritual growth.)All of Chekhov’s characteristics of a decent person reflect what we know or can presume of the wisemen’s persona. Reflecting what St. John of Chrysostom wrote of the three wisemen we ‘encounter’on this Epiphany Sunday:“If the Magi had come in search of an earthly King, they would have been disconcerted at finding that they had taken the trouble to come such a long way for nothing. Consequently, they would have neither adored nor offered gifts But since they sought a heavenly King, though they found in Him no signs of royal preeminence, yet, content with the testimony of the star alone, they adored: for they saw a man, and they acknowledged God.”Looking into the New Year of ‘26, we are often reminded of the need to consider personal resolutions. Any one of the above or several of Chekhov’s characteristics of ‘decency’would be wisely considered as personal resolutions, forming a stronger Christian disposition. For we too, as Christians,“see a man and acknowledge God.”
God Bless, Fr. Tim
FYI: “Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.”(Benjamin Franklin)